State Senators Dan Patrick and Mike Jackson are really pushing this idea of a tax-free weekend for disaster preparedness items.

It would include all the items you needed for your family during the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, such as generators. A tax-free holiday could be a substantial benefit for a big purchase like that and might encourage more families to have one at home.

There are a lot of other smaller items you buy to prepare for a disaster, like duct tape and flashlight batteries.

The state senators would like such a tax-free holiday to fall at the beginning of June, encouraging people to get ready for hurricane season and buy the items needed to sustain their families in case of an emergency.

This might also help the traditional run on such items right before a hurricane. The state of Texas already has a tax-free holiday for school supplies. This is the same concept, just applied to personal safety.